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New Survey Shows Impact of Gambling Advertising on Customers
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published its latest survey which reveals the impact of gambling advertising on customers. The survey included data from 6258 respondents.
Of the 4,566 respondents who had gambled in the past 12 months, 34% said that a post or media had prompted them to spend money on a gambling activity in that period.
Free bets or money to spend with a gambling company was the most likely to prompt a customer to engage in gambling, with 22% of gamblers reporting doing so.
Advertising on social media and TV had each prompted 15% of gamblers to gamble in the last 12 months. Direct marketing, sports sponsorships and newspaper advertising prompted 9%, 8% and 7%, respectively.
The Gambling Commission also asked those who had reported seeing gambling ads how, if at all, those ads had changed their gambling habits.
Of those respondents who had reported seeing traditional advertising from gambling companies – such as television or print ads – 52.8% said that the advertising had not changed the amount that they gambled.
Meanwhile, 13.0% said such ads prompted them to start gambling for the first time, while 16.3% said these traditional ads prompted them to increase the amount that they gamble.
A further 14.7% were prompted to restart gambling after taking a break from the activity because of these ads. Meanwhile, 10.1% said the ads prompted them to change what they gambled on or try a new form of gambling.
Free bets or money to spend with a gambling company was shown to be the most effective new customer acquisition method, as 25.9% of those who had gambled in the last 12 months and seen posts or advertising said that free bets prompted them to start gambling for the first time.
Free bets also led to 18.6% of viewers restarting gambling after taking a break.
Of the advertising methods examined, the Gambling Commission said free bets had the lowest rate of responses saying they had not changed the amount that respondents gambled, at just 35.2%.
Direct marketing via email, text message or push notification appeared to be more effective with existing or lapsed customers, however. It was cited by most respondents as prompting them to increase the amount they gambled, at 21.8%. It was also the method that prompted most people to restart gambling after taking a break, at 19.6%.
The figures also showed that 85% of those surveyed reported having seen any gambling advertising or sponsorship. In total, 83% reported having seen advertising and 78% having seen sponsorship.
These figures are down on 2019’s survey which showed 87% of people had seen advertisements or sponsorships, with 86% seeing advertisements and 82% sponsorships.
Television advertising was the most widely seen format for gambling advertising, with 76% of respondents reporting seeing this.
Gambling sponsorships on TV, radio or podcasts were the next most common format for people to see, at 67%. Other common places to see gambling advertising or sponsorships were on sports merchandise (60%), in sports venues (59%) and online outside social media (56%).
The least common reported place to see a gambling advertisement was via direct marketing, either by email, text message or push notification, which 37% of respondents reported seeing.
The data showed that young people are more likely to see gambling advertising online, with 77% of people aged 18 to 24 saying they had seen gambling ads online, compared to 55% of those 65 and over.
Of those surveyed, most (68%) said they use social media but don’t follow gambling operators or companies. Meanwhile, 17% said they do not use social media or streaming platforms, and 16% said they do follow or watch gambling companies.
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brand-partnership
G2 names Skin.Club official skin partner for its CS2 team
Skin.Club branding will appear on G2 jerseys, social channels and content series, with in-person activations planned.
G2 has partnered with Skin.Club as the official skin partner for its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) team, with the deal spanning team jerseys, content and live experiences.
Under the agreement, Skin.Club will feature on G2’s CS2 team jersey as an official partner. The partnership also includes logo placement across G2’s social channels and integration within content series throughout the year, plus a “series of in-person activations,” according to the companies.
“Partnering with Skin.Club marks an exciting step forward for our G2 CS team,” said Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2. “We’re always looking to work with brands that genuinely understand the Counter-Strike community, and Skin.Club brings both passion and innovation to the space. Together, we aim to create engaging experiences for fans while continuing to push the competitive ambitions of our roster.”
“At Skin.Club, we’re focused on creating experiences that bring the Counter-Strike community closer together,” said Dan Tar, CMO of Skin.Club. “Collaborating with G2 allows us to work alongside one of the most iconic teams in esports and deliver new ways for fans to engage. Drive, Love, Counter-Strike!”
Financial terms and the partnership duration were not disclosed.
The post G2 names Skin.Club official skin partner for its CS2 team appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
GGPoker
Marius Kudzmanas wins WSOP Europe Main Event for €2m
WSOP says the €5,300 Main Event drew 2,617 entries and created a €13.085m prize pool, the largest open event in European history.
Marius Kudzmanas has won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event, taking home the €2,000,000 top prize and the WSOP Europe Main Event Champion’s gold bracelet, WSOP announced on April 11, 2026.
WSOP said the €5,300 Main Event attracted 2,617 entries and generated a €13,085,000 prize pool, calling it the largest open event in European poker history.
Across the wider WSOP Europe festival, WSOP reported more than 80 countries represented, 15 WSOP gold bracelets awarded, over €39,500,000 in prizes, and 15,779 total entries across all bracelet events.
WSOP also highlighted Switzerland’s Anna Eggenberger winning the inaugural WSOP Europe €1,000 Ladies Championship for her first bracelet, topping a 197-player field that WSOP said was the biggest ladies championship event ever held outside of Las Vegas.
WSOP executives framed the turnout as a signal of momentum heading into the summer WSOP in Las Vegas, scheduled to run May 26 through July 15. “We are absolutely thrilled with the phenomenal success of this year’s WSOP Europe, which has set new parameters for poker on the continent,” said Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP. Gregory Chochon, Chief Operating Officer of WSOP, added: “This edition of WSOP Europe was the best yet, and we’d like to sincerely thank all of the players, dealers, staff, partners, and media that came together to make the festival so special. A core WSOP goal is to continually refine and improve our events – with that in mind, we can’t wait for the action to kick off next month in Las Vegas!”
The post Marius Kudzmanas wins WSOP Europe Main Event for €2m appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Casino Operators
LuckyStreak adds Popiplay slots to LuckyConnect aggregation API
Deal makes Popiplay’s 75+ game portfolio available to LuckyConnect customers, with new releases auto-synced via the platform.
LuckyStreak has added Popiplay to its iGaming content aggregation API solution LuckyConnect, expanding the aggregator’s third-party slots catalogue. The partnership was announced on 13th April 2026.
Under the deal, Popiplay’s full games library becomes available to LuckyConnect customers “instantly, with no additional technical work required,” according to LuckyStreak. The company said new Popiplay titles will be auto-synced with customers’ game management systems as they are released.
Popiplay, founded in 2022, is a Scandinavian slots studio with a portfolio of more than 75 games. LuckyStreak highlighted mechanics across the catalogue including Bonus Buy and Chance x2 & x3.
Rory Kimber, Commercial Director at LuckyStreak, said: “Popiplay is a great example of the new wave of studios building content for how players actually engage today. Their focus on performance, streamer appeal, and player-first design makes them a strong addition to LuckyConnect and highly relevant for operators targeting modern audiences. We continue to build a portfolio that balances proven performers with ambitious, high-growth providers, and Popiplay fits that strategy perfectly.”
Almir Kudic, CCO at Popiplay, said: “Partnering with LuckyStreak is an important step for us as we continue to grow our distribution. It gives us the opportunity to bring our games to a wider audience while working with a partner that shares our focus on quality and player engagement. We’re excited about what we can achieve together.”
The post LuckyStreak adds Popiplay slots to LuckyConnect aggregation API appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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